Cell system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016268651-A1
Application number	US-201315030204-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Oct 21, 2013
Priority date	Oct 21, 2013
Publication date	Sep 15, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A proposed cell system 100 has a simple second cell unit 20 (for instance, a unit cell (second cell 21 )) electrically connected in series to a first cell unit 10 (battery pack) that constitutes a main power source. The state of charge (SOC) of the first cell unit 10 is detected on the basis of a mixed voltage (V 3 ) of first cells 11 included in the first cell unit 10 and the second cell 21.

First claim

1 . A cell system, comprising:
a chargeable and dischargeable first cell unit; a chargeable and dischargeable second cell unit; and a mixed voltage detection device, wherein the first cell unit includes a plurality of first cells connected in series; the second cell unit includes at least a second cell connected in series to the first cell unit; in the second cell, a change in open circuit voltage with respect to SOC (%), in a range from SOC 20% to SOC 80%, is larger than that in the first cell; and the mixed voltage detection device detects a mixed voltage resulting from combining the open circuit voltage of at least one first cell from among the first cells included in the first cell unit, and the open circuit voltage of at least one second cell from among the second cells included in the second cell unit.

2 . The cell system according to claim 1 , wherein in the first cells, a proportion of the change in open circuit voltage with respect to SOC (%), in the range from SOC 20% to SOC 80%, is 10 mV/10% or lower.

3 . The cell system according to claim 1 , wherein in the second cell, a proportion of the change in open circuit voltage with respect to SOC (%), in the range from SOC 20% to SOC 80%, is 50 mV/10% or higher.

4 . The cell system according to claim 1 ,
wherein in the first cells, a proportion of the change of open circuit voltage with respect to SOC (%), within a range higher than SOC 95%, is 100 mV/10% or higher.

5 . The cell system according to claim 1 , comprising a capacity estimation device that works out an estimated value of capacity of the first cells or the first cell unit on the basis the mixed voltage detected by the mixed voltage detection device.

6 . The cell system according to claim 5 , wherein the capacity estimation device comprises:
a first map in which a correlation relationship, serving as a reference, between the mixed voltage and the capacity of the first cells or the first cell unit is stored beforehand; and a computing unit that works out an estimated value of the capacity of the first cells or the first cell unit on the basis of the mixed voltage detected by the mixed voltage detection device and the first map.

7 . The cell system according to claim 1 , wherein the mixed voltage detection device
detects a mixed voltage resulting from combining the open circuit voltage of a cell in which degradation has progressed most, from among the first cells included in the first cell unit, and the open circuit voltage of at least one second cell from among second cells included in the second cell unit.

8 . The cell system according to claim 1 , wherein the mixed voltage detection device
detects a mixed voltage resulting from adding the open circuit voltage of the cell of highest open circuit voltage, from among the first cells included in the first cell unit, and the open circuit voltage of at least one second cell from among second cells included in the second cell unit.

9 . The cell system according to claim 8 , comprising a first voltage detection unit that detects respective open circuit voltages of the plurality of first cells included in the first cell unit.

10 . The cell system according to claim 9 , wherein the mixed voltage detection device
identifies a cell of highest open circuit voltage from among the first cells included in the first cell unit, on the basis of the respective open circuit voltages of the plurality of first cells included in the first cell unit which have been detected by the first voltage detection unit.

11 . The cell system according to claim 1 , wherein the first cell unit comprises a restraining member that restrains the first cells included in the first cell unit; and
the second cell is released from the restraint of the restraining member that restrains the first cells.

12 . The cell system according to claim 1 , comprising a second cell degradation detection unit that detects degradation of the second cell.

13 . The cell system according to claim 12 , comprising:
a second voltage detection unit that detects the open circuit voltage of the second cell, wherein the second cell degradation detection unit comprises: a second map (V 3 i -V 2 i ) in which a correlation relationship, serving as a reference, between the mixed voltage and the open circuit voltage of the second cell is stored beforehand; and a determination unit which, on the basis of a mixed voltage (V 3 ) detected by the mixed voltage detection device and the second map (V 3 i -V 2 i ), works out a reference open circuit voltage (V 2 i ) of the second cell serving as a reference, and determines whether the open circuit voltage (V 2 ) of the second cell detected by the second voltage detection unit lies within a range established beforehand with reference to the reference open circuit voltage (V 2 i ) of the second cell.

14 . The cell system according to claim 12 , wherein the second cell degradation detection unit comprises
a determination unit that determines the extent of degradation of the second cell on the basis of a rate of change (ΔV 3 /ΔSOC) in a relationship between the mixed voltage (V 3 ) detected by the mixed voltage detection device and the SOC of the first cell unit.

15 . The cell system according to claim 1 , wherein the first cells are lithium ion secondary batteries in which positive electrode active material particles having an olivine structure or spinel structure are used as a positive electrode active material, and the second cell is a lithium ion secondary battery in which positive electrode active material particles having a layered rock salt structure are used as a positive electrode active material.

Assignees

• Toyota Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Arai Takuichi

Classifications

• H01M10/482 Primary

  for several batteries or cells simultaneously or sequentially · CPC title

• H02J7/82

  Control of state of charge [SOC] · CPC title

• H02J7/825

  Detection of fully charged condition · CPC title

• H02J7/61

  against overcharge · CPC title

• H02J7/50

  acting upon multiple batteries simultaneously or sequentially · CPC title